A selloff of several store leases and the spinoff of two business segments are on the way for Sears Holdings as the company hopes to improve its third quarter 2013 performance, the retailer said Tuesday.

More than 150 programmers competed over three days to develop mobile apps that interface with Sears Holdings' Shop Your Way loyalty program as part of the retailer's Startup + Developer Challenge code-a-thon.

Jobs data from the Department of Labor released Friday show that among the 165,000 jobs added overall were 29,000 in the retail sector, results that industry trade group the National Retail Federation heralded as possibly boding well for the economy in the future.

While the numbers themselves speak volumes, it's important to consider some of the factors behind them that explain why the sector has thrived.

Among the highlights of the first Sears Holdings shareholder meeting since Edward Lampert became chairman and CEO were details on the company's progress in combining its brick-and-mortar and online businesses.

Sears Holdings has launched a service that it said would offer a simple, cost-effective way for businesses to manage storage, picking, packing and shipping of customer orders from Sears Marketplace and other places a merchant sells products.

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A new breed of drug-resistant head lice is driving a new wave of product solutions. DSN Senior Editor Michael Johnsen takes a deeper look at what retailers and suppliers are doing to combat "super bugs" in this special report. Read more...

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Drug Store News highlights parents' and suppliers' search for new solutions to the "super bug" problem; takes a closer look at retail clinics and what five top chains are doing to stand out in the space; recaps what's new and trending in the skin, sun and bath care categories; and more! Read more...